Cylinder and dial knitting machine



April 30, 1946. c. KOPPEL CYLINDER AND DIAL KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 23, 1944 IIHIIIIIHIHIIIHII INVENTOR. CflARLfS KOPPEL Patented Apr. 30, 1946 z93gg9 UNITED STATES PATENT ET'EQE,

CYLINDER AND DIAL KNITTING MACHINE Charles Koppel, Robbinsville, N. J.

Original application February 23, 1944, Serial No. 523,565. Divided and this application November 29, 1944, Serial No. 565,655

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements in knitting machines and pertains particularly to improvements in the cylinder of a cylin der machine and to the cylinder of a cylinder and dial type machine.

The present application forms a division of my application Serial No. 523,565, filed February 23, 1944, which application in turnis based upon and constitutes a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 486,867, filed'May 1 3, 1943.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide in a knitting machine oi the cylinder and dial type, means for preventing the accumulation of dust and dirt in the grooves provided in the cylinder Wall for the needles, jacks and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a cylinder type knitting machine, needle grooves which are closed or partially closed at their lower ends but which have openings adjacent the bottoms of the grooves through which accumulated lint or dust may escape downwardly and be prevented from packing under the needle so as to force the latter outwardly and therefore interfere with its proper sliding movement in its groove.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means at the lower ends of the needle grooves of the cylinder, which will limit the downward movements of the needles therein and at the same time provide means for the escape of accumulated dust and lint, downwardly from the bottom surface of the grooves.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in association with the accompanying drawing, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confirmed to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawing, but may be modified so long as such modifications are within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a View in vertical section through a knitting machine cylinder and dial, conventionally illustrated, showing the application of the present invention thereto.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of a portion of a cylinder and dial, showing the application of the present invention to the form of cylinder disclosed in my prior applications previously r ferred to.

Figure 3 is a partial section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a partial vertical section through a cylinder and outside dial, showing the application of the invention to the cylinder.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral ill generally designates a con ventionally illustrated needle cylinder in asso ciation with which it employs, at the top of the cylinder, the disk-like dial which is generally designated H.

Since the construction and method of operating dial and. cylinder machines of the character herein referred to are well understood by those versed in the art no showing has been made of the needle operating mechanism and no description of the same or of the manner of actuating the needles is believed necessary.

The numeral I2 designates the longitudinal ribs formed integrally with the cylinder upon the outer side thereof and providing the spaces or grooves I3 in which are located for reciprocatory motion the vertical knitting needles ht.

The dial l I is likewise provided upon its top surface within the plurality of radial ribs l5 which provide grooves IS in which the horizontal radially movable needles I? operate.

In accordance with the present invention as applied to the type of cylinder illustrated in Figures l to 3 inclusive, each of the channels or grooves I3 of the cylinder is closed across the outer side of its lower end by the transversed member or web Hi. This web It is spaced from the bottom wall surface IQ of the groove to pro vide the escape aperture 20 for any dust or lint which may settle in the groove. It will be noted that the bottom wall 49 of the groove is flat or unobstructed directly to the bottom or lower side of the opening 29 so that there is no ridge or break in the smoothness of the bottom wall surface which could act as a trap for the accumulation of dust or lint under the lower end of the needle.

The inner or lower end of each needle is thickened as shown and indicated by the numeral 2| so that such lower end is of a height substantially equaling the depth of the groove in which it slides. Consequently, the web l8 functions as a means of keeping the needle from dropping out of the lower end of the groove.

In certain types of cylinder and dial machines the lower ends of the needle groove are completely closed with the result that dust and dirt accumulates in the corner formed between the bottom wall of the groove and the lower end wall which closes the groove and this interferes with the proper operation of the needle in the groove for the reason that the extent of travel In the form of the invention illustrated in Fi ure 4, where the dial 22 is in the form of an annulus which encircles the upper end of the cylinder 23, the lower ends of the grooves, which are designated 24 and which, as shown, are

formed in the inner wall of the cylinder, are normally closed by the bottom plate 25 which completely closes the lower end of the cylinder.

In accordance with the present invention as applied to the outside dial and cylinder machine, the bottom plate 25 is provided with an escape opening 26 for dust and lint, at the lower end of each of the grooves 24. These escape openings are, like the openings 20, of a width equaling the width of the channel 0r groove and the bottom wall surface of each groove runs uninterruptedly directly through the opening thereby avoiding the formation of any ridge or other means of picking up dust and dirt.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that there is provided by the present invention a novel means of keeping the lower ends of the needle grooves iree of accumulated dust and lint, while at the same time providing an effective means for preventing the needles from passing downwardly beyond the lower ends of the grooves or dropping out therefrom.

I claim:

1. In a cylinder type knitting machine having a cylinder provided with needle grooves longitudinally in One wall, means for preventing the accumulation of dust and dirt in the lower ends of said grooves, comprising an opening leading from the lower end of each groove immediately adjacent to the bottom of the groove whereby matter collected upon the groove bottom may escape therefrom and be forced along the bottom by an end of a needle moving therein through said opening, said opening being formed in a part of the cylinder tructure which extends across the end of the groove and functions as a stop to be engaged by the lower end of a needle in the groove.

2. In a cylinder type knitting machine, a cylinder having needle grooves in a wall thereof, and means extending across the lower end of each groove upon the side opposite and remote from the bottom of the groove, forming an abutment for the lower end of the needle in the groove to limit the downward movement of such needle, said abutment forming means being spaced from the bottom wall of the groove to provide an escape openin for dust and lint which may settle in the groove upon the bottorn wall thereof.

CHARLES KOPPEL. 

